Burdens
by Emerald Lotus
Summary: Being a hero isn't an easy job and Ben has to face that fact. It's not always filled with rewards and happiness.


**Warning: Very minor spoilers for the episodes Transmogrification of Eunice and Eye of the Beholder.

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Time was something I didn't have much of anymore. I hardly made it to school five days a week and it seemed like every other day the universe was at stake. There were explosions, knights pillaging, the simple alien just checking out the planet, but of course we would have to go check them out too. My life had turned into one big intergalactic vortex, and I was being violently sucked into it with no way out. I was more involved with other planets than my own. I was more involved with the other species of those planets than my own. And the time I did spend on Earth were surrounded in mountains of homework, swarms of reporters, and hoards of fans. Half the time I wasn't even myself, I was one of the beings from the Ultimatrix. I was barely human anymore, because I just didn't have time to be human. Not for myself and not even for the human that mattered most, Julie.

"It feels like you don't have enough time for me anymore." She had said one day out of the blue. "I think…I think we should stop seeing each other."

I turned to her, taken back. I wasn't sure how to respond to that, so I answered with the only word that was running through my mind. "What?"

"You're never around, and I can't handle it anymore. I've seen you three times this past month, and once was when you were trying to help Kevin. I was glad to help, but that was a mission, not a date. It's just… not working out." she said. I could only stare at her. "I'm sorry, Ben," she then got up and left.

I tried to wrap my mind around what had just happened. Julie had broken up with me because I was too busy? Yeah, of course I was busy, but it wasn't my fault. I had the weight of the universe on my shoulders. That was much bigger than the world and I was hardly Atlas. I tried to hold it up as best as I could though, but I was beginning to crack. The stress was starting to crush me, and eventually I was going to cave from the pressure.

Didn't Julie realize she was what grounded me to this world? To my life here on Earth? To everything human? She was my escape. Her smile could make all my troubles fade away, if only for that moment. She listened to me, helped me with my problems. I know I acted like a jerk a lot when my secret first got out. I let the fame go straight to my head, and I thought I was superior to everyone. That was obviously not true. But I thought Julie and I were okay.

I know I wasn't around a lot but it wasn't because I didn't want to spend time with her. There were just things that kept popping up. I've been off world five times this past week alone. I knew Julie was getting tired of my excuses, and I was getting tired of saying them. I care for her, and I want to be with her. But I also want to make sure she's safe, and so I go out and protect the universe. For her.

Of all people I thought she would understand, or perhaps it was just me who didn't understand. I didn't really have to pay attention to those fans. Autographs and interviews were something I could easily pass on. They might trash me later for it, but I shouldn't have cared. I could have made so much more time for her. For what really mattered.

I never wanted to get Julie involved in any of this. But how could she turn away from me so easily? I know our relationship isn't normal, but if she really loved me we could have worked it out. Gwen and Kevin have it so much easier. Kevin is an Osmosian ex-con and Gwen is a black belt plus an Anodite. They can take care of themselves and Gwen is anything but fragile. And they can always be together on missions. But Julie is simply human. She only needs to focus on school and tennis, and let the aliens just remain a myth.

So who was the one at fault here? Was it Julie because she just didn't understand the pressure I was constantly under? Or was it me for not letting the burden off my shoulders for more than a few minutes?

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**I know this is short. It's just a mini story because I got this idea the other day. I probably took Ben's responsibilities a little out of proportion, but I thought in this case it made for a good story. Anyway, let me know what you think.**

**P.S.**

**Anyone that read this and is following my story Haunted. I will have and update tomorrow.**


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